Ryan Murphy was joined backstage at the Emmy Awards with the cast and crew of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, after the show collected three wins Monday including Outstanding Limited Series.

Murphy expounded on the statements he made onstage during his impassioned acceptance speech. “The themes and issues that we talk about in the show are modern as ever, if not more so,” said Murphy, adding, “I’m always happy to make a political statement.”

“The statistic that I said, which was one in four LGBTQ Americans will be the victim of a hate crime, is true and heinous,” Murphy continued.

Murphy also touched on why it was so important for him to tell this story as he was in Los Angles at the time “Andrew Cunanan started his spree.”

“As a gay man who was told that, when I started off in the business, I couldn’t write a gay character,” he said. “The idea now that 20 years later I get to tell the story and proselytize for my community is important.’